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Oceanographic Information
Oceanographic Information
As Gipsy Moth IV circles the world on her 22 month voyage, the young adults on-board will be responsible for capturing important information relating to the characteristics of the oceans that they are travelling upon. In conjunction with the University of Plymouth, this data will be made available to schools, colleges and universities worldwide through the project's web site, providing an invaluable insight into the current state of the world oceans.
To support the data collection, the project has kindly been provided with hi-tech water sampling equipment. YSI Hydrodata has provided a YSI 556 Mutiprobe System. Featuring a waterproof, impact-resistant case, the YSI 556 MPS simultaneously measures dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, and optional pH and ORP. A simple cellular phone style keypad and large display make the instrument easy to use.
RS Aqua have provided the project with a Turner Designs Aquafluor TM Hanheld Flurometer/Turbidimeter. This lightweight, inexpensive, unit is ideal for the user who needs quick measurements away from the laboratory. Its dual-channel capability allows the user to measure either fluorescence or turbidity in one sample.
Every day when the yacht is underway 3 separate sample points will be taken at approximately 0600, 1200 and 1800 hours. At each sampling point the voyage participants will obtain a surface water sample and insert the YSI 556 MPS into the sample and record the temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and air pressure. This will be followed by filling a sample cuvette and inserting this into the Aquafluor TM to read off the chlorophyll and turbidity of the water.
As part of the 1200 hours sample, the young adults will also use a Secchi disk; this is a circular plate divided into quarters painted alternately black and white. The disk is attached to a rope and lowered into the water until it is no longer visible. Secchi disk depth, then, is a measure of water clarity. Higher Secchi readings mean more rope was let out before the disk disappeared from sight and indicates clearer water. Lower readings indicate turbid or coloured water. Clear water lets light penetrate more deeply into the sea than does murky water. This light allows 
photosynthesis to occur and oxygen to be produced. The rule of thumb is that light can penetrate to a depth of 1.7 times the Secchi disk depth. Clarity is affected by algae, soil particles, and other materials suspended in the water. However, Secchi disk depth is primarily used as an indicator of algal abundance and general ocean productivity. Although it is only an indicator, Secchi disk depth is the simplest and one of the most effective tools for estimating an ocean's productivity
The young adults will also recording meteorological conditions such as cloud cover and wave height to provide further details of the environmental conditions at the time the samples are taken.
After each sampling point the voyage participants will record the results in the GMIV Oceanographic Research Logbook. This data will also be transmitted back via the on-board satellite equipment to the University of Plymouth School of Earth, Ocean & Environmental Sciences. The data will then be interpreted and overlaid with additional remote sensing data before being uploaded to the GMIV web site.
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University of Plymouth
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http://www.plymouth.ac.uk |
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YSI
YSI Hydrodata Limited, a UK based, wholly owned subsidiary of YSI Environmental, is the market leader in instrumentation to monitor the aquatic environment. YSI products and systems are used throughout the world to measure, monitor, and provide high quality, reliable data to help our customers make critical decisions in matters relating to water quality, quantity and flow. YSI have provided a 556 Multi Probe System to support the capture of oceanographic data during the voayage. The rugged and reliable YSI 556 MPS (Multi-Probe System) combines the versatility of an easy-to-use, easy-to-read handheld unit with all the functionality of a multi-parameter system. Featuring a waterproof, impact-resistant case, the YSI 556 MPS simultaneously measures dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, and optional pH and ORP. A simple cellular phone style keypad and large display make the instrument easy to use. This data will be sent back via GMIV’s satellite system to the University of Plymouth where it will be analysed and overlayed with additional data before been made available to schools and colleges via the projects web site.
http://www.ysihydrodata.com |
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RS Aqua
RS Aqua supplies oceanographic equipment to the research, survey and monitoring markets. The company has provided an Aquafluor instrument; this is a lightweight, inexpensive, handheld fluorometer/turbidimeter. It is ideal for the user who needs quick measurements away from the laboratory. Its dual-channel capability allows the user to measure either fluorescence or turbidity in one sample. This data will be collected by the voyage participants and sent back via GMIV’s satellite system to the University of Plymouth where it will be analysed and overlayed with additional data before been made available to schools and colleges via the projects web site.
http://www.rsaqua.co.uk/ |
